Jim Cheung, The Clone Wars, and Usagi on FCBD 2009

For next years Free Comic Book Day event (May 2, 2009) Marvel will be offering The Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Cheung in a new story with heavy ties to the happenings in the Marvel Universe. Great news, in some respects, as it features Jim Cheung’s fantastic artwork, but try as I might I tend to loathe Bendis’ Avenger-related work and I’ve been out of the loop at Marvel in large part for well over a year now so I’ve pretty much zero interest in actually reading the thing. Ah well, not to appear ungrateful, at least we’ve got that great Cheung art to enjoy and of course…it’s free!

Truthfully though, what I’m most looking forward to on FCBD are the Gemstone and Dark Horse offerings. Where the latter is concerned, not only will there be a Star Wars: Clone Wars story featuring the heroes of the Clone Wars, but according to Stan Sakai a rare 6-page colorUsagi Yojimbo story as well! No word yet on what the story will be about, other than that it will feature the long-earred ronin, in celebration of his 25th Anniversary.

More on the contents of the Gemstone FCBD offering as it becomes available.

I am definitely looking forward to the next Free Comic Book Day, which will actually be the first one in which something offered has been of any interest to me with my extremely limited comic interests.

The very first appearance of both Usagi Yojimbo and Space Usagi in any Dark Horse publications were a couple sneak previews published in Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye #1 and Star Wars: Jabba the Hutt – Betrayal, so it is kind of fitting that Usagi will soon be appearing in Star Wars: The Clone Wars for his first Free Comic Book Day appearance.

As always, Steve, you’re a treasure trove of Usagi knowledge and I appreciate your taking the time to share it here (now I have to track down those issues!). Hope you’ll enjoy the FCBD issue…and that you can endure the wait!